A gala party at the Galleria downtown capped events marking the paper's first 95 years. Among the celebrants was the Call & Post's current owner, boxing promoter and Cleveland native Don King, who purchased the paper in the late 1990's.

The paper's editor and associate publisher, Connie Harper, told WKYC, the Call& Post became an indispensible asset to Northeast Ohio's black community over the years.

"The Call & Post is a vital part of the community," saidHarper."It has always been a paper the people could depend on to tell their story even when it was not told in the majority media."

She related some of the significant events the paper made and covered in the history of Cleveland journalism.

"We had the first black to be in the pressbox for the Indians and the Browns, and that was Sheep Jackson.The paper also had Charlie Lowe who covered some wars. He went overseas. So we have always been a vital of part of everything going on, not just in our immediate community but in the city and the world."

The paper was founded in 1916 by famed inventor Garrett Morgan, andhit its stride under the tutelage of the legendary William O. Walker, beginning in the 1930's.

"Mr. Walker was the first black to be in the governor's cabinet in the state of Ohio. So we've always been right there in the middle and the midst of whatever was going on that was of real importance," Harper said.

"We were proud to have been able to do this.We felt like we were supposed to do it."